The
pair abducted Mr Dooley last August from the Vauxhall Resource Centre, a
community centre in Norwich where he ran a book stall, and wheeled him
out of sight before demanding his cash.

After
they left, he managed to make his way back to the centre where staff
called police, who tracked the pair down using security footage.
Harcourt admitted robbery and kidnap, while Webster was found guilty in
court.

Mr Dooley – whose
disability makes it hard for him to communicate – used an interpreter to
tell the court from behind a screen about his fear during the ordeal.

Chain of events: The thies are seen forcing their disabled victim across a main road and into a park on a summer's day last August

Mr
Dooley’s father, the Reverend Gerald Dooley, described in an impact
statement read out in court how the community centre was ‘a really big
part of Stephen’s life’ but he ‘does not want to leave the house’ now
and ‘is afraid and has become introverted’.

He
had attended the centre for more than ten years and saw it as a home
from home. In his own victim statement, Mr Dooley said: ‘Working on the
book stall was the one thing I did by myself. I miss it lots …but now I
am too scared to go.’

Devious: Webster and Harcourt had targeted Stephen Dooley as he attended a centre holding activities for disabled people for callously robbing him

Cast aside: After the cash was taken from Mr Dooley, who became disabled as a baby, he was just left to fend for himself. Thankfully the thieves were arrested within 40 minutes after being caught on CCTV

Detective
Constable Jim Starling said yesterday: ‘Harcourt and Webster are the
lowest of the low. To target a man who clearly has no means of defending
himself or calling for help is beyond belief.’

Detective
Sergeant Richard Dickinson praised Mr Dooley for his bravery in being a
witness, adding: ‘Giving evidence is a traumatic experience for any
victim of crime, but it’s particularly poignant in Steve’s case as he
has limited means of communicating.